Ryan Shucard Pleads Not Guilty to Carrying Pistol to Capitol Hill

Ryan Shucard, the Capitol Hill aide who allegedly tried to bring a 9 mm handgun and magazine to work Friday, was released from police custody on Saturday afternoon after pleading not guilty to a felony charge for carrying a pistol.

Shucard exercised his Fifth Amendment right during his minute-long arraignment, standing silently beside his lawyer in khaki pants and a long-sleeved, collared shirt with shackles around his ankles and wrists. With no objection from the government lawyers working on the case, D.C. Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher released Shucard with instructions to return to court on Aug. 7.

When the Colorado native entered the courtroom around 1:30 p.m., a blond woman began dabbing her eyes with a tissue. She was sitting next to a girl and man who later identified themselves as members of Shucard’s family. The trio followed Shucard out of the courtroom. Shucard, his family and his lawyer, Jason Kalafat, declined to comment to CQ Roll Call.

Shucard has been placed on unpaid leave from the office of Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., where he had been serving as press secretary since May 2014. The University of Northern Colorado and George Washington University alumnus got his start on the Hill in October 2011 as a staff assistant for then-Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn.

What might have provoked the incident, which resulted in Capitol Police arrested Shucard around 9:15 a.m. on Friday morning, remains unclear, but the confiscated handgun has been raising new questions about campus security.

JohnnyAngel Advocacy Group

July 21, 2014
5:38 a.m.

Janet Innes-Kirkwood

July 21, 2014
9:55 a.m.

No, it is the truth which is why you think it is inflammatory. The Republicans have this problem every time they caught at this stuff and they have to get their judge friends to help them out. The statistics and reality show the truth and all the black kids in DC and the old farts on the Hill know it to be true.

stevenharnack

July 21, 2014
11:37 a.m.

For you to shoehorn Hillary into THIS conversation about a possible work place shooter Republican…she must haunt your dreams, eh?

JOHN KLINE

July 19, 2014
8:34 p.m.

Of course arrest him. Can not have Republican politicians or their staffs walking around with guns. Being Republicans already shows they can no be trusted and have crazy ideas.

Tom Conoley

July 19, 2014
9:34 p.m.

Carroll Barber

Aug. 2, 2014
12:28 p.m.

YONATAN C

July 19, 2014
10:07 p.m.

the government seems to have forgotten all about the three million unemployed families that are still without an unemployment extension since late last December. while the congress approved billions of dollars for the Ukraine, and approved the Koch brothers oil pipeline bill, the unemployment extension bill was refused passage by the republican senate. both political parties have failed these unemployed families, and left them in financial ruin and deep poverty

Janet Innes-Kirkwood

July 20, 2014
12:20 a.m.

Oh, but theRepublicans want to enforce all those federal weed laws but how about the gun ones? I am sure this is a felony and that is a mark against you for life. He can now join the other 67 million of his fellow citizens who have criminal records. Do the poor kids in DC and all these other cities get out when family members dab their eyes? They all find mercy for each other just not poor inner city kids. Hopefully they all notice their hypocrisy and understand why people have so little faith in them all especially the prosecutors and judges.

JohnnyAngel Advocacy Group

July 21, 2014
5:40 a.m.

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About Hill Blotter

Campus Reporter Bridget Bowman (@bridgetbhc) keeps her eye what's happening on and around the Hill. She covers local elections, the Capitol Hill community, House and Senate administration, legislative agencies and congressional oversight over the District of Columbia.

Leadership Reporter Hannah Hess (@ha_nah_nah) covers law enforcement and ethics investigations, acting as a watchdog of both chambers of Congress. Her beat includes Capitol Police and the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms.